Laboratory simulations and parameterization of the primary marine aerosol production

A major source of the primary marine aerosol is the bursting of air bubbles produced by breaking waves. Several source parameterizations are available from the literature, usually limited to particles with a dry diameter D p > 1 μm. The objective of this work is to extend the current knowledge to submicrometer particles. Bubbles were generated in synthetic seawater using a sintered glass filter, with a size spectra that are only partly the same spectra as measured in the field. Bubble spectra, and size distributions of the resulting aerosol (0.020–20.0 μm D p ) of the resulting aerosol, were measured for different salinity, water temperature ( T w ), and bubble flux. The spectra show a minimum at ∼1 μm D p…

• OO
  Office of Naval Research

  Award: N00014